The invention relates to a process for the sterile filling of beverage liquids into bottles or the like. Moreover, the invention relates to a device with which such a process can be carried out.
As is generally known, one attempts during the filling of beverages to fill the beverages in such fashion so as to achieve a shelf life as long as possible. If one does not want to achieve this with chemical additives or a subsequent pasteurization by means of heating, one is dependent on carrying out the filling process as germ-free as possible, i.e. sterilely, so that no bacteria reducing the shelf life of the filled product remain in the product during the filling process. Advantages of a germ-free or sterile filling result in particular in the case of fruit juices, but also in the case of beer or similar beverages.
In order to achieve a high degree of sterility during the filling process, it is known to carry out a steam sterilization of the bottles. During this steam sterilization phase the bottles (this applies, of course, also to beverage cans) are flushed with hot steam. For this purpose, it has been already suggested (U.S. Pat. No. 2,695,743) to bring steam into the opening area of the bottle through a short filling pipe located above the bottle edge for steam sterilization, which extends into the bottle neck with its opening during the filling process, by bringing the filling pipe into flow connection with the steam feed line. After steam flushing of the opening area, the filling pipe is then inserted and the liquid to be filled is then filled into the bottle through the filling pipe, through which the steam has also been introduced.
The relatively large control expenditure required is disadvantageous in this process. Moreover, this process has been criticized (cf. EP-A-0303135) because sufficient sterilization, in particular of the inner space of the bottle, is not possible because of the short filling pipe.
To avoid this disadvantage a long steam feed pipe is used in EP-A-03 03135, in which a steam sterilization phase is also provided, which pipe is introduced so much into the bottle in the steam sterilization phase that the opening area of the steam feed pipe is only insignificantly above the bottom of the bottle to be sterilized. Then, the steam flows upwardly from the bottle bottom along the walls. Moreover, a bell is put over the bottle in the steam sterilization phase. A steam atmosphere is also generated within the bell so that the bottle is then treated with hot steam from the outside and the inside.
The disadvantage of this process is, on the one hand, the large expenditure necessary for the sterilization phase (additional bell), however, it is also particularly disadvantageous that, due to the long steam feed pipe, great relative displacements must take place between filling element and bottle, which, in turn, is connected with the corresponding apparatus expenditure and additional process time during lifting and lowering. Moreover, the long pipe has a comparatively high heat storage capacity so that, following the completion of a filling cycle, the filling pipe cooled by the liquid filled must again be heated, whereby a lot of undesired condensate is obtained.
As compared with this prior art, the invention provides a process and a device with which a simple and effective, sterile bottling is possible, which covers a large field of application.